


Blinded Eyes And Silent Words

by King_of_Clubs



Series: The Walking Dead Game [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Episode: s04e03 Broken Toys, Eye Trauma, Louis has a crush on Aasim, M/M, Mitch Doesn’t Die, Mutilation, Psychological Torture, Slow Burn, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-29 23:18:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17817452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/King_of_Clubs/pseuds/King_of_Clubs
Summary: Louis, Omar, and Aasim all get taken...One can't shut up.One has a wave of panic.One is too protective.





	Blinded Eyes And Silent Words

   Louis was having a… well, he was having a predicament, a big one at that. One he never thought he would have in his entire life… feelings for someone… but it was different. That's why it was inflicting on everything now.

   Vi would always talk about girls and no one care. Clem said she liked guys and girls…

   So why was it so hard for Louis to accept? For himself. He loved Clem… but she was apparently more interested in Violet. But he started having feelings for someone else. Or was beginning to have those feeling resurfaced.

   It was a guy. Louis had a crush on a guy. Oh, how his parents would feel… That was a big no-no. His status was everything, nothing else mattered, and to date a guy? Preposterous, as his dad put it. Even as a kid Louis saw nothing wrong with it, but now it’s the apocalypse, when it’s him, it’s wrong. Makes so much sense, Lou. So much sense.

   He sighed picking up Marlon’s bow to start shooting again, Clem was already so much better than he was. He tried focusing when the sound of the doors opening rung through his ears.

   “Because you’re boring and your idea is stupid!” the sound of Willy’s voice carried through the courtyard. Aasim and Willy were arguing rather loudly about something.

   “Oh, I’m being stupid? You’re the one who can't think straight! If you could hear yourself--”

   “Guys, what the fuck?” Violet shouted, interrupting Aasim as everyone walked over to the fight.

   “You told us to work on the traps together, but Aasim won’t listen to anything I have to say!”

   Louis sighed, “That doesn't mean you have to scream at each other.”

   “What the fuck, Aasim?” Mitch put his hands in the air.

   Aasim snapped at the tow, “Stay out of this!” Aasim snapped at Mitch and Louis. “ I had an idea for duffle bags filled with bricks. We drop them on the raiders if they get to the admin building. Willy here wants to use a giant, idiotic swing log to take out one raider at _most_. It’s completely stupid.”

   “You’re stupid!” Willy retorted.

   “You’re being childish!”Aasim snapped.

   “I am not! I’m trying to help!” Willy threw his hands to the side.

   “So help! And _stop_ **_arguing_ **!” the older teen growled angrily gesturing at the younger boy.

    Breaking up the fight, Clementine took a step forward, “The swinging log seems like it could do real damage.”

   “Yeah! That’s what I said!”

   Mitch sighed, “See? His idea is better, Clem said so,” he snarked.

   Aasim scoffed taking over Mitch, “Sure, damage to like, one person. If it manages to hit anyone at all,” Aasim turned back to Willy, “I don't know why I’m surprised, though. You know, I can’t remember the last time Willy did anything useful for this school. You could barely handle guard duty.”

   Willy pulled back, punching Aasim as hard as he could before he backed off, fear and embarrassment riddling his face before he ran away.

   “What the shit?!” Violet said oh-so  eloquently.

   “Willy!” Mitch ran after the boy, purposely running into Aasim, knocking him down.

   “Dude, you okay?” Louis walked closer to Aasim.

   Groaning, Aasim stood up and started to walk to the couch, “Yeah, fine, shit!”

   "Christ, we'll all kill each other before the raiders get a fucking chance."

   Louis smiled, “Right, what we need is something to break the tension,” he said, walking over to Aasim who had taken a seat, “Hey, buddy, how’s it hanging?”

   “Dude, fuck off,” the teen groaned.

   “Sulking in the corner isn’t going to help us fight off the raiders. Or turn that frown, upside down.”

   “You get more annoying every day.”

   Louis smiled the comment off, “Regardless, I have a plan to make everybody feel better. And that plan is a game,” he held out some cards, smiling when he saw AJ and Tenn walk over.

   “We haven't played a game in weeks, since that night with Marlon,” Violet sighed.

   “I mean, if you want to go ask Ruby to play, I don’t mind waiting.”

   “Shut up, dude! I swear to God,” Aasim quickly said.

   Violet smiled, “You got a crush on Ruby?”

   “What’re we playing?” AJ interrupted Violet’s question.

   “Truth or Dare!” Louis smirked, shuffling the cards.

   “You don't use cards in truth or dare.”

   “You do in this version. Everyone draws. Highest card gets to ask. Lowest card has to answer,” Louis smiled handing the cards around.

   The blonde girl smirked, looking at Clementine, “Truth. Marry-Fuck-Kill.”

    _“Vi,”_ Tenn said.

   “Fine! Marry- _Flip_ -Kill,” she put her hands up and then back down, “Ruby, Aasim… or James, that guy who saved you.”

   Clementine scoffed, looking down, “Oh, my god.”

   Louis smiled, “You gotta answer. Them’s the rules.”

   “Mm. Let’s see. I would marry… Ruby,” the teen smiled.

   “Watch out, Aasim, she’s totally gonna swoop in and ruin your dream,” Louis laughed.

   “You got to admit, Clem’s a way better catch than you.”

   “I would, um, flip…”

   “Flip, flip, flip, flip…” Louis chanted

   AJ joined in, “Flip, flip, flip, flip!”

   “Aasim?” Clem shrugged to see the teen wide-eyed and staring at her.

   “Oh, wow. That’s, wow. Now that’s awkward."

   Louis, of course, made a joke out of it, “I don’t think you’re his type. He’s into redheads.”

   “Dude! Shut up,” Aasim turned away from the group.

   Violet laughed softly.

   “So that means you're killing…”

   “This is amazing,” Tenn smiled.

   “Boy from the woods!” Violet shouted.

   Louis laughed, “I’ll try to shed a tear to the poor boy none of us met, who’s probably a figment of Clem’s imagination.”

   “No he’s not. I met him,” AJ responded.

   “Well, now he’s dead, poor dude,” Louis shook his head, “This is great. We’re laughing, we’re bonding. It’s a nice break from thinking about homicidal assholes sneaking into our homes to kidnap us.”

   “Not if you bring it up.”

   Louis winked, “Onto round two.”

   The cards were passed around again, and Clementine smiled. “I win!”

   “And poor Aasim loses,” Louis smiled playfully.

   The girl smirked, “Definitely a dare.”

   “Okay, do your worst.”

   “I dare you… I dare you to give Louis a kiss.”

   Violet choked on air as Tenn and AJ laughed.

   "I'm down, Aasim, a dare is a dare, don't chicken out," Louis smirked, he… he was happy, Aasim would kiss him, even if it was short, it was a kiss, and that was the only time he'd get the opportunity again.

   “No. Not doing that, give me something else.”

   “What--”

   "Uh, I dare you to kiss a walker's head."

   “Uh, I could die.”

   Clementine laughed, “go for the cheek, avoid the teeth… or you could kiss Louis, I don't care.”

   Aasim stood up, walking over to the walker's head, groaning, “Ugh. Oh my God,” he sounded like he was holding back barf before he kissed it. Usually, Louis would have been laughing his ass off, but all he could think about was that Aasim would rather kiss a walked head than him. Was he really that bad?

   Everyone else was laughing so Louis let out a weak laugh and smile.

   “I hate… everyone,” Aasim sat back down, crossing his arms.

   “That was amazing,” Violet laughed.

   Holding back his emotions, Louis laughed, “Well, I think we learned something about your good friend Aasim today,” he smiled as Aasim raised an eyebrow to look at him. “Mainly that he has no romantic charm whatsoever.”

   “Shut up.”

   “Look sharp, y’all, it’s time for round three!” Lou held up three fingers on his left hand before handing Clementine the stack of cards and saw he won. “Ha, I got it,” he smiled. “We’ve been pretty hard on poor Aasim here, teasing him about sweet Ruby. Seems only fair we mercilessly tease someone else about unrequited love,” he turned to her, “So, Clem. Anyone here you like-like?”

   Violet rolled her eyes, “Seriously? ‘Like-like?’ What are you, six?”

   “Seven, thank you,” Louis quipped.

   Clementine said nothing and looked off to the side.

   “Well, I guess that’s my answer. Clem has feelings for no one and nothing,” Louis teased, passing the cards around again. “Aasim, you got the high card. And the loser is… Tennessee.”

   “What’s something you’ve never told anyone because you were afraid they’d make fun of you?” Aasim gestured with his hands.

   Louis saw the boy’s expression and smiled, “You got this.”

   “I, um… I think… I think walkers won’t always be around. They’ll go away someday. ‘Cause goes in cycles, right? Ice age, stone age, um, some other ages. This age’ll end, and another one will start.”

   “An age without walkers. Like it used to be,” Clementine said softly.

   “It’ll be better,” he smiled, but when there was a long pause, it faltered. “Why is everyone looking at me like that? Did I ruin the game?”

   Violet smiled, “No. It was perfect.”

   “You sounded really smart,” AJ looked up at Tenn.

   “Hh, I like to read.”

   The toddler looked at the ground with a sad face.

   “What’s wrong, AJ?”

   “I… I just don’t know what it’s like. All of you do, but I don’t. I don’t remember a time before monsters.”

   Louis jumped in, “You know what, little dude? It’s okay that you don’t. Believe me, the world before this one was pretty shitty,” he looked at Clementine who smiled approvingly, “And that feels like a good place to call it.”

   Both Aasim and Tenn stood up, walking away.

   “We should finish up our work, anyway, it’s getting dark,” Violet commented and when she saw Ruby, “You’re on lookout duty?”

   “Yeah, Clementine’s got it after me.”

   “Can I come?” AJ asked.

   “Of course, little guy,” she said, AJ stood up and the two head to the lookout posts.

   Louis smiled, turning his head to see Aasim walking up to Willy, so he nodded at the two making Clementine and Violet look.

   “Hey,” Aasim said.

   Willy looked up, “Hey.”

   “Need any help with that log?”

   “Um, yeah. It’s pretty heavy,” the kid nodded.

   Aasim smiled, “Let’s go build the deadliest log ever conceived by man.”

   Standing up, Willy looked at Aasim, “Sorry I punched you.”

   “It’s okay. It was a pretty good punch,” the two walked into the admin building.

   Looking back, Violet stood up, “I’m heading to the bell tower, I want to check out the defenses on the back wall before bed.”

   “Do you need help?” Clementine asked.

   “Sure, if you want.”

   Smiling, Louis looked at her, “You could always help me, instead. If we’re back on speaking terms, that is,” he stood up, “I am on piano duty,” he said as Violet rolled her eyes. “What? I gotta get in some practice before one of you decides to chop it into firewood,” the teen walked out of the circle. “I have a project I want to try, but I need a second person,” he smiles at Clementine before walking into the music room.

   Clem hadn't followed him.

   Instead of moping, he decided to just play some songs for a while. He went through almost every song he could think of when he heard the door open.

   “What are you doing there, Lou?”

   Louis froze. No one but Violet and Marlon called him Lou… but he laughed it off. “Lou? Thought only Vi and… Mar called me that,” his shoulders deflated at the mention of his dead best friend.

   “Eh. Who needs two extra letters?” Aasim smiled.

   “Oh? Should I take off the double a’s? Start calling you Sim?”

   “You’re such a dumbass.”

   “Anyways, you and Willy finished with the swing log?" Louis turned to look at the other teen in the room.

   “Yeah, it should be ready to go. So, what are you doing?”

   “I’m just practicing my piano. I don’t know, it helps me calm down, I know you guys think it’s stupid…”

   Aasim walked into the room. "I don't think it's stupid.”

   Louis wanted to let out a laugh because he _knows_ everyone thought it was stupid. “It's what you always say. Anyway, what did you need? Need me for something?”

   “No, just wanted to know how you are? I’m sorry about the game, not kissing you with the dare.”

   “Dude, it’s okay, I wouldn't want to kiss me either.”

   Aasim uncrossed his arms to give a sad look in Louis’ direction, “And there it is. Louis, I don’t know what it is, but you’re losing all your confidence... again. You know as much as I tease you, I’m still here to talk to if you need it.”

   Louis sighed turning around to look at the other in the room. “I don’t know what is up, all I know is… well, I know what it is but like… I don't know why.”

   “Oh, please keep being cryptic. I love it.”

   A laugh came out of Louis. “Sorry, I’m not good at explaining things…” he rubbed his neck. “I’m having a hard time with something… it's stupid.”

   “It's not stupid if it’s bothering you?”

   “Look, I don't know how to explain. I... “ Louis groaned, “I like someone, and… it’s just… I don’t know,” he hid in his hands, “I’ve just been told it’s not okay to like this person the way I do.”

   Aasim raised an eyebrow. “I am not going to ask who, but hey, it doesn’t matter who you like, none of us are going to hate you-- unless it's like Willy or Tenn.”

   “Of course it’s not Willy or Tenn, he--” Louis stopped talking, he said ‘he.’ “Look, just forget I said anything, okay? Please, just forget it.”

   “Louis, I was joking, I know you don’t like those two.”

   “I know.”

   “Hey, it’s okay. You can talk to this person, or you can bottle your feelings up forever… your choice,” Aasim shrugged.

   Louis furrowed his brow. “Thanks, Aasim, you’re so helpful.”

   “That’s not what I… Louis, I don’t know what you think of us, but I am serious, none of us care who you like. You like, Ruby, fine, you like, I dunno, Mitch, fine.”

   “Just, wow. Mitch, that's what you came up with? I don’t think so, man. But… I see your point… it’s just… it’s hard for me to accept it myself. I told you; a rich family. If they were still alive, they probably would be bugging me to find a nice rich girl to marry.”

   Aasim sighed. “Yeah… Anyway, are you ready for… whatever’s happening?”

   Louis sighed. “Our impending doom? I guess.

   “Well, while we still have time, I should get to chronicling in my journal.”

   “Chronicling. I don’t know why I find that such a funny word.”

   Aasim shook his head and laughed. “Alright, night, Lou,” he walked out.

   Again with the Lou, he froze, blush started forming on his face, slamming his head on the piano keys in frustration, this was so stupid. All he did was call him by his nickname and he couldn’t stop smiling with his face flushed… he’s such a mess.

   It was Aasim that made him think like this. That made him feel so… he doesn’t even know. Being around Aasim made Louis feel so happy, but it also made him feel awful knowing Aasim could never like him in the way Lou likes him.

   But the next thing he does know the fight with the raiders was there. The bastards shot Omar and got Lilly got Tenn to get out of hiding, but Clem shot her. Mitch -- trying to be the fucking hero -- ran up and got stabbed in the shoulder.

   Willy was screaming as Aasim held him back.

   About to shoot Mitch dead, Lilly was shot with an arrow shooting to the side. Louis watched as the bullet grazed Mitch’s left ear while thinking a gunshot that close cannot be good…

   Mitch got his way back to cover, and the rest of the kids were able to make it back to the admin building. Willy’s log trap worked.

   But they threw a Molotov cocktail, tried to burn it down, so everyone, but Clem and AJ ran out. Screams could be heard from the inside about the event.

   And the bastards took Aasim, and something burst inside him, and he fought harder than he would before. But he was kidnapped too, knocked upside the head and thrown into a cage to be sent off somewhere like an animal.

   When he’s awake, he’s tied to a pole with both Aasim and Omar on their own.

   “Louis, are you okay?” Aasim whispered.

   “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. You? Omar?”

   Omar nodded, “my leg is fine.”

   “I’m good too.”

   Louis nodded, looking up at the hatch. “Live in the moment I said, god damn it. Aasim, you’re right. We should have had… fuck,” he shook his head. “Goddamnit!”

   “Hey! Shut up! They told us we’re not supposed to be talking,” Aasim sighed. "Just stay quiet, and we won't have a problem, right?"

   “Sure.”

   “Grab them and take them to the brig,” Lilly’s voice snarled.

   Before he knew it, Loius was grabbed and paraded around the boat along with Aasim and someone practically dragging Omar. No matter how much they all struggled, they still were thrown in a cell. No care that they were people, let alone living things, harshly thrown around like a ragdoll

   “Now stay quiet.”

   “Stay quiet? Why? Did I--”

   “I’d suggest you’d listen to your friend over there.”

   Louis raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, can’t really stop me from talking.”

   “Watch yourself, I’ll make you.”

   Louis furrowed his brows, but stayed quiet… this time. But as time went on, he kept on and on and on, though. Until they all snapped.

   “What do you want us to do this time you sick fucks? You’ve already held me at gunpoint moving me from wherever the hell that was to the brig where I’m currently in a cage.”

   Lilly walked over with a perplexed look on her face as she gave the three boys a death glare... “He being mouthy again?”

   “Yes, ma’am.”

   “Alright. Take out the boy’s tongue.”

   “Yes ma’am,” she opens the cell, grabbing Louis who tried fighting back, begging for anything but his tongue. He asked for his entire hand… he was willing to give up playing the piano. But they wouldn’t have it.

   Lilly kicked her boot on Louis' leg making him kneel, holding his hands. Dorian made quick use, grabbing his tongue out of the mouth Lilly held open and used sharp ass scissor-shears, slicing his tongue off where Louis screamed and cried. He struggled to try to get out of her grasp as he begged for them to stop. Blood was pouring down his face as he spat out more of it.

   The woman with a bun held what looked to be burning metal. She shoved it down Louis’ waterfall of blood that was his mouth to stop the bleeding, which only made him scream louder. She caught it on the side of his mouth, burning it.

   “Louis!”

   The boy just continued crying as he was thrown back into the cell, where Aasim and Omar both went to hug him. He was loudly sobbing, hands pulling on his dreads.

   “Lou, Lou, can you hear me?”

   Louis showed no sign of saying anything in response, just cried of pain and hands in his hair trying to grab something.

   “No talking,” Dorian narrowed her eyes. “I hope you understand that we mean it now.”

   The boys shut up, still holding onto Louis to try and calm him down.

   He was garbling out ‘it hurts, it hurts’ but couldn’t get a word out, and his mouth filled with blood and saliva and was choking on it or it was dribbling out of his mouth, they did a poor job closing it up.

   “Lou, it’s gonna be okay,” Aasim whispered.

   The boy coughed out blood as he was struggling to breathe. He was still loudly sobbing.

   Aasim shook his head, grabbing the boy's shoulders to console him. "Louis, listen to me, it's going to be okay. Please calm down, it's going to be okay. Not the same, but okay."

   And at that, Aasim got a nod from Lou, and he kept whispering things to calm Louis down…

   “You have your cards?”

   Stupid question, of course, he had his cards. He nodded, grasping the pocket where they were.

   “I have an idea,” Aasim whispered. “Wanna play a game?”

   “Move him to the other cell.”

   “He’s fine in here. We won’t talk, please just let him stay in here.”

   “I’d suggest you not try and have negotiations.”

   “Please.”

   The door opened, and they dragged Louis into another cell where he curled up in the corner. It hurt, it hurts, it hurt.

   Of course, it hurt. Cutting out a body part does that. Lou was just in pain, so much pain. He was crying, loudly.

   “Stop crying, you’re not a baby.”

   “You just cut off his tongue! He’s in pain! If he’s in the same cell as us, maybe he wouldn't be so loud! I was going to get him to calm down!”

   Lilly stepped closer to the cell. “You better shut your mouth, or I’ll make it worse for you, Marksman. I know every one of your jobs, and I know how to make you hurt the most.”

   Louis gulped, trying to stop his crying. Oh god, it hurt. It hurt so fucking much.

   “Cut off my arm, rip out my eye, I don’t care. Do whatever you think would hurt me.  Just let me help him, you don’t have to hurt him further.”

   “Your eye huh? Oh ho, don’t start giving me ideas, boy.”

   “Do it. As long as I get to stay with him.”

   Dorian walked up behind Lilly, “I thought I told you no negotiations.”

   “Ah, ah, no Dorian. Let’s give the boy what he wants.”

   Louis covered his ears and closed his eyes as he saw Aasim being dragged out of the cell. He still heard him struggle. Grunts of pain and pleads for her to stop.

   “Not so tough now, Marksman? Will you all learn to just stop talking,” she growled, punching him one more time. The sound it made Louis visibly flinch.

   The cell door opened, Lilly walked in grabbing Louis by the collar. “It’s your fault, you get to watch,” she dragged him out where Louis got to see the real culprit behind Aasim’s brutal beating; Dorian.

   “It’s not his fault,” voice weak and in pain, Aasim hissed out.

   “It’s not is-- kid, are you serious? You’re giving up the one thing that probably makes you important to your little group for him to help him and you say it isn’t his fault?” Dorian stopped her beatings.

   Louis glanced at Aasim… his right eye turned almost entirely red with heavy visible blood flow, swollen shut. Dorian had taken brass knuckles to his face.

   Aasim hissed softly. “It’s not his--”

   “Oh Aasim, Aasim. Why are you so adamant on helping him. I thought Minerva told us you can't stand one another?”

   When no one responded, the two were thrown into their cells.

   Stranded in their own corners, Louis flinched when he heard a bow being drawn. He heard talking but was unable to decipher any of it.

   “Guys!” AJ?

   “Where’s Aasim? Louis?” Clem.

   “I’m…I’m fine,  just check on Louis, okay?” Aasim’s voice...

   “Okay, okay.”

   He heard the door open, and he stayed facing the wall. Out of embarrassment? Fear? He didn’t even know at this point.

   “Louis? Louis--”

   “What the fuck Minnie?!”

   “Step back! I will shoot!”

   “Don’t fucking point that at him!” Violet yelled as she and AJ were thrown in a cell.

   The boy got closer to Clementine while he waited for her to wake up, it felt like hours but was only a few minutes.

   “Louis?”

   Upon seeing Clem, he jumped into her arms, crying.

   “What did they do to you?”

   "No! No, no, don't. They… they cut out his tongue," Aasim jumped up, and when Clem got a glance at Aasim's face, she scowled, "he just… he wouldn't stop fucking talking…"

   “I’m going to make them pay for this.”

   Louis shook his head, pleading for her not to, no one else needs to get hurt. A loud sound echoed through the boat making Louis jump into the corner.

   “Shush, shush, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Clementine comforted him, “you’ll be home soon.”

   Listening as the girl got up and walked to the bars, Louis held his knees tightly to him. She was asking if everyone was okay…

   “Aasim, what happened to your eye?”

   “They decided to turn me into a punching bag,” Aasim said, “brass knuckles to the face…”

   She flinched at that. “We’ll be home soon, Ruby will patch you up. I will get these bastards back.”

   "Thank you, Clem…"

   Louis stared at the wall, counting the tallies all over the room. Clem had gotten AJ’s knife, he stared at it before looking back at the wall. That was until he saw Dorian and started panicking. No… no. Not again.

   Lilly came into the room, yapping away, all Louis could focus on was don’t make any sounds. But he couldn’t.

   Minnie killed Sophie. They chopped off Vi’s pinky.

   “Louis, we need to go. Omar, can you help Aasim?”

   The boy looked up, Aasim's shirt was stained with his blood, it kept pouring and pouring, he was he not dead? Violet grabbed his arm, and they started to make their way off the boat…

    Omar and Aasim using each other as support and Vi helped Louis, running to the horses. When did they get those?

    “Louis, keep your eyes on me, don’t close your eyes.”

    The teen wish he could, but he ended up passing out on the horse.

~~

   Louis sat in his room, knees drawn up to his chest his boot haphazardly thrown across the floor.

   “Hey, Lou… Ruby said she wants to check you up… can you make it to the nurses' office?”

   He shrugged, head hidden in his knees.

   “I’ll... I’ll go get her.”

   Louis didn’t want Aasim to leave him. He didn't want to be by himself, unable to protest, so he sat there, silent until Ruby arrived. She smiled weakly at him.

   "Could you face me?"

   He sighed and turned his body to her slowly.

   “Okay, I’m just going to clean you up, if you don’t want me touching your mouth, just stop me, okay?” she said softly, when he nodded she sighed, “on a scale of one to ten, how much does it hurt? You can just hold up your fingers.”

   Louis looked down and then back up at Ruby shakily holding up seven fingers and then moving his ring finger up and down.

   “Seven to eight?”

   He slowly nodded. It still hurt, but not as much as when they cut it off. That would of been a ten; the most painful experience in his life.

   “Okay. I’m going to start cleaning now, okay?”

   He closed his eyes and did nothing else. Ruby cleaned his face and neck up gently, and Louis tried his best not to freak out. He was safe, he was home.

   “Lou…”

   His eyes opened.

   “I need to look at your--”

   He shook his head back and forth. He can’t just let her see. She just can’t.

   “Louis, I have to see. If they didn’t close it up properly, it could get infected, and you could die. It’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

   He shook his head quickly.

   Aasim walked over, grabbing hold of Louis’ shoulders. “It’ll be okay.”

   “I can check and clean Aasim’s eye first, so you have more time to prepare?” Ruby said softly. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do it. But I still _need_ to look at it.”

   “It’ll be okay, Lou.”

   Louis sighed and nodded as he watched Ruby grab some hydrogen peroxide, cloth, and a bandage wrap. “Scale of one to ten, how much does your eye hurt?”

   “If one is like a paper cut or something, I’d say… six? Seven? I mean on a scale of most painful things I’ve experienced, I dunno, is ten? What’s the scale here?”

   “Okay, stop overthinking everything.  Can you open your eye at all?”

   “No. I can’t open it. I think she crushed my eye or something… it may just be swollen, but I don’t know anything other than it hurts and I can’t open it right now.”

   Louis flinched. Watching Dorian beat the shit out of Aasim with those weapon knuckles only to throw him into the cell with Omar. If the teen had any energy left he would have screamed at Lilly it Dorian, but just like Louis; everything was too much.

   “I… I can’t tell right now if you’ll be able to see once it’s healed. It ain’t lookin’ too good so far.”

   “There goes my aim,” Aasim let out a self-deprecating laugh.

   “Don’t be silly, Sim. My dad was one -- of if not the best hunters I’ve ever known, and he only has-- had one eye. He could hit a target’s bullseye further than a mile away. I bet you can do it too… Uh, with practice, obviously. Trust me. I’ll help you learn.”

   “Aye aye captain,” Aasim mustered, mimicking the solute of a soldier.

   “Shut up,” she laughed, putting the hydrogen peroxide onto a cloth. “Hey, this is probably gonna sting, just hold your breath, okay?”

   Aasim nodded. Louis observed as the other  sucked in a breath to hold but the second Ruby started to clean the eye, he was hissing harshly, “Fuck!”

   Clem told Louis about her friend Kenny having to go through something similar. He wondered if the man was as loud reactive as Aasim.

   Ruby finished up before wrapping a bandage around the area. “There you go. Just keep it on, and if it starts to hurt more than it is now, you need to make sure to tell me.”

   “Will do.”

   Turning back to Louis, Ruby gently smiled. “Louis, all I need to a quick look. I’ll put my hands behind my back if that makes you feel more comfortable,” she demonstrated. He nodded before shakily opening his mouth to where she checked it. He closed it as soon as she backed up. “They did an awful job trying to close that up…”

   “Shoved a price of burning hot metal in his mouth before literally throwing him into the cage like some animal. I guess that’s also what the burn mark on my face is… I guess they got me good and wanted to burn it closed. Still bleed like hell.”

   “Holy… Okay. Okay. I… well, Louis I would just stay away from any of the harder foods like… well your pretzels, and stick to softer foods, like the stew or maybe some fruit? I’ll figure something out for you to eat while that heals up.”

   Louis nodded.

   “You hungry right now? Aasim what about you? I can go and grab some food for you two to eat.”

   A shake of the head from Louis and a shrug from Aasim.

   “Alright. Well, you two get some rest. I’ll check on you later, okay?”

   “Okay.”

   With that, Ruby left, leaving Louis and Aasim by themselves. Louis takes off his jacket hanging it off the top bunk, pulling his knees to his chest. God, _so much_ has changed. Nothing would be the same again, would it?

    Louis can’t _talk_ , he can’t _joke_ , he can’t **_sing_ ** , and it’s _so_ **_hard_ ** to even muster a smile. Aasim was probably _blinded_ and it’s all Lou’s _fault_. The teen may never be able to shoot as well again, he may struggled to write.

     **_Nothing_ **will ever be the same.

   “Lou… you feeling okay?”

   Louis nodded, he was okay for his circumstance, it just _hurt_. And only okay if you take that. He sighed and pointed at Aasim. If the teen was honest, he was more worried about Aasim than he was himself.

   “Uh, yeah. I’m okay. For the most part.”

   Louis shrugged, grabbing his pillow and putting it in between his crossed legs for his head to rest on. Just to think a few days ago Louis was trying to figure out a way to say he like-liked Aasim without ruining their… friendship. Now he just wants to know if the other blames him.

   It is his fault after all. Louis kept talking and talking until they cut out his tongue. He wouldn't calm down, and Aasim just wanted to help but ended up getting beaten into submission, probably until he's blind. Louis should've just shut up. It would have been better if he’d just _shut up_.

   “Lou?”

   He hummed in response. It's not like he could answer if he wanted to. God, he _wants_ to. He wanted _this_ to all just be a weird fever dream.

   “I’m sorry… I mean, for like… like this happening to you? You know it’s none of our-- yours included -- faults? What happened to you and what happened to me was not your fault, they’re just fucking sickos, please don’t think otherwise.”

   Louis sighed and nodded. He pointed at Aasim and then his own eye and sighed.

   “My eye? You think it’s your fault?”

   Despite feeling like it was, Louis shook his head. Aasim didn’t need to sit there telling him lies about how it’s not his fault. He _can’t_ have that. Louis _knows_ it’s his fault, Aasim just can’t see it yet.

   “Oh. You’re sorry it happened?” the other cocked his head, looking to the side.

   A nod.

   “Well, I mean, I did literally ask for it,” Aasim let out a weak laugh. “I should have known they would have just thrown me back in the cell. I should’ve _known_ . I mean honestly, I was just fucking stupid. I was so _stupid_ nothing would have changed if they _did_ put me in the cell. Nothing. You’d still be…”

   Louis furrowed his brows.

   “I wish I just would've done something instead of letting them beat the shit out of me, I could’ve fought back. I could’ve tried _something_ , **_anything_ **. But, I just--”

   Standing up and walking over to Aasim’s bed and taking a seat, Louis put out his arms out for a hug. The other smiled weakly and took it. Nothing was said, they just kept hugging one another until Louis pulled back, looking Aasim in the eyes-- eye.

   Aasim looked Louis in the eyes before the other was looking out the window, “Louis? What's wrong?”

   Shrugging, Louis glanced to the side. He can’t say what he was feeling like even if he wanted to. He should have taken up sign language when his parents told him too, but no, he decided he shouldn’t learn it because he’s not deaf.

   “Hey! I have an idea-- give me a second,” Aasim shot up, starting to dig through their desk, “where is it, where-- ha!” he came back over to Louis with a small journal and a pen. “You can just write what you wanna say.”

   Smiling, Louis opened the journal starting to scribble something down, _‘thank you.’_

   “No problem.”

   Louis walked to his bed, sighing. He should get some sleep.


End file.
